Petal Mehta

I believe in the power of a safe space to rediscover one’s voice and reclaim resilience. My approach centers on honesty, fosters vulnerability, and recognizes the courage it takes to seek help. Having navigated adversity through years of therapy, I understand the transformative power of exploring the past to create meaningful change. My practice is rooted in anti-racism and anti-discriminatory principles. I work relationally, adapting methods to meet each client’s unique needs. Together, we’ll explore your pain, uncover strengths, and move towards growth at a pace that feels right for you.

I am committed to my personal growth and open to feedback. For the first ten years of my career, I received live supervision from a psychoanalytic systemic psychotherapist and group analyst, which shaped my practice. My approach is integrative, combining psychoanalytic and relational therapies with a focus on power structures, cultural issues, and transgenerational trauma. I continue to receive supervision and personal therapy to ensure my practice remains reflexive and ethically attuned.

Areas I work with

I support clients across the lifespan with a range of mental health difficulties. Whether it’s’ anxiety, depression, addiction, psychosis, or abuse, I view all such distress as expressions of trauma, which often lead to powerlessness. My focus is to help clients bear this pain, find healthier coping mechanisms, and build a life where they feel empowered.

I also work with:

• Birth, pregnancy, and postpartum worries for mothers
• Personality, attachment and emotional regulation difficulties
• Children and adolescents aged from 0-18 and parenting difficulties
• Couples relationship struggles including intimacy and separation
• Identity dilemmas, including gender, body image, and neurodiversity

Training and Qualifications

I am a UCKP-registered Family and Couples Systemic Psychotherapist with an MSc from King’s College London, where I earned a distinction for my clinical research. With over 15 years of experience in NHS mental health services in London, I support individuals, children, couples, and families, both therapeutically and in consultative settings.

Additionally, I have trained in Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT) and Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), both of which I run in group formats and individually. I have also trained in Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), designed to heal attachment ruptures in families. Further, I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which helps heal trauma stored in the body, transforming clients’ relationships with traumatic memories. I work holistically, considering the interweaving responses between the mind and body.

I am a full member of:

UKCP – UK Council for Psychotherapy
https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk

AFT – Association of Family and Systemic Therapy
https://www.aft.org.uk/

NMC – Nursing and Midwifery Council
https://www.nmc.org.uk/

I am affiliated with the triage network at mypsychologyclinic.com – 2023 – Best Online Psychology Clinic, UK Enterprise Awards